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SYLVESTER BILLINGS, OF SPRING GARDEN, PENNSYLVANIA.

BLOCK FOR SETTING HAT-BRIMS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,627, dated August 7, 1849.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, SYLvEs'rER BILLINGS, of the district of Spring Garden, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Machine for Heating the Brim of a Hat for Curling and Setting; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top view, Fig. 2 an inside view of the top, showing the manner in which it is cast, Fig. 3 an inside view of the bottom piece, Fig. 4 a front elevation; Fig. 5 a perspective view of the iron or heater; Fig. 6 a perspective view of the machine, letter a in Figs. l, 4 and 6, the top surface of the machine, being slightly convex from 1 to 2, letter I), in the Figs. l, 4 and 6, an iron weight concave on the under part, to fit the convexity of a, and working on the hinge or joint c, d, a ring for the purpose of raising the weight I), in order to introduce the brim of the hat for heating, letter (e) Figs. 1, 4 and 6 an elevation used for heating the front and rear of the brim, after giving the proper shape to the sides, letter f, Figs. 4 and 6, is the slide in front, by which the heater (Fig. 5,) is inserted into the body of the machine.

The nature of my invention, consists in providing a heater for softening the brim of a hat; in order that it may receive the proper curl and shape. The operation being performed in the following manner: iirst raise the iron weight b, place the side edge of the brim under it, let it remain there until it becomes suiciently soft to work, it is then taken out and worked .in the usual manner by hand, by which it receives what is termed the edge curl; to edge-curl the other side, the same process is repeated. The next thing to be done, is to give the side brim the proper shape or set; in order to do this, we place the brim of the hat on the convex surface a (Fig. l) where it remains until it becomes sufficiently softened by the heat for working; it is then worked by hand, in the usual manner.

In order to give the necessary shape or set, to the front and rear of the hat brim, it is placed on the raised surface e, Figs. l, 4 and 6 and remains there until sufciently softened to be worked by hand.

I- wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not claim the hollow bex, nor the heater (Fig. 5,) nor the method of heating the machine by the same, that being already in common use; nor do I confine myself' to that particular mode of heating; as the same may be accomplished by steam or heated air; it being only necessary to dispense with the slide f, and making the machine steam or air tight.

What I do claim as my invention and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the convex surface a, and the iron, or metalic, weight b, made concave to it the convexity`of a, as represented in Figs. l, 2, 3, and the perspective view.

I S. BILLINGS.

Witnesses:

J. MITCHELL, J. D. ToTTEN. 

